DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the application abstract): Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are emerging pathogens that are important causes of hemolytic uremic syndrome, hemorrhagic colitis, and diarrhea world wide. In the United States, these food-borne enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are the most common infectious cause of bloody diarrhea in individuals of all ages. In addition, the hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can occur as a sequelae of EHEC infection, is the most common cause of kidney failure in children in the United States and Canada. The 3rd International Symposium on Shiga Toxin (Verocytotoxin) - Producing Escherichia coli Infections (VTEC 97) will be a major meeting covering all aspects of infections from Shiga toxin-producing bacteria, including public health, pathogenesis, renal and gastrointestinal pathophysiology, clinical management, food safety, and human and animal ecology. There have been previous international meetings on this topic in Toronto, Canada, in 1987 and Bergamo, Italy, in 1994 but this is the first such meeting to be held in the United States. The site of the meeting is Baltimore, Maryland, a location convenient for large numbers of attendees from North America and Europe. Specialized organizations such as the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Pediatric Nephrology have occasional sessions at their national meetings on this disease, but VTEC 97 will attract a diverse group of investigators including nephrologists, gastroenterologists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, cell biologists, food safety experts, and veterinary scientists. The scientific program will include oral symposia that feature plenary speakers, panel discussions, short slide presentations, and poster sessions. Ample opportunity will be provided for informal discussion among the participants.